The Courageous Life

New things are everywhere.
And they keep pulling us away from what matters the most in our lives. 
In his revelatory book: Saying No to New,
New York Times Editor, and celebrated journalist, Eric Athas shows us how to rewire our impulse to consume new things and reclaim control of our time, money and attention.
Eric writes:
“One of the biggest lies of modern times is that new is always better. 
An upgraded phone will always outshine the one from last year. 
A new pair of sunglasses is always better than the one you wore last summer. 
The new fitness app is the only thing that will finally motivate you to reach your goals. 
Influencers constantly promote the latest trends, while retailers make the check out process more seamless than ever.
And for many of us, the next new product, trend, or fad is getting too good to resist. 
But instead of improving our lives, new things often drain our resources and distract us from achieving our goals. 
We're tricked into thinking that the only way for us to feel satisfied is by getting cheap dopamine spikes from the next new thing.”
In today’s conversation we’ll explore some of the powerful insights Eric has gained through his experiences writing the book, doing original research, and conducting interviews with scientists, philosophers, tech insiders, happiness gurus, and decision-making experts. 
What Eric will share sheds light on:
Why we like newness so much
How we can get better at discerning when Newness is additive to our lives, 
When it isn’t,
And how we can quiet the noise of consumerism and take a more intentional approach to the things we ultimately let into our lives.
For more on Eric, his book, newsletter and other offerings please visit sayingnotonew.com
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On the Science of Mastering Your Intuition | Laura Huang
On Presence, Community, and Flourishing | Daniel Coyle
On Flourishing Despite Life's Challenges | Richard Davidson & Cortland Dahl

Upcoming opportunities to learn with Joshua:
Learn more about Joshua's new LIVE 6 week course: Unlocking Creativity. 
Limited spots are available. Course begins on October 11th, 2026.
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By age twenty-five, Vijay Gupta had lived several lifetimes: 
he played Carnegie Hall at eight, 
studied at Juilliard and Yale before most had finished high school, 
joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at nineteen, 
gave a celebrated TED Talk seen by millions, and launched a nonprofit. 
But behind the accolades was estrangement, addiction, and a private unraveling. 
In his unflinching memoir: Restrung, 
Vijay describes, with breathtaking and heartfelt clarity, 
his journey of breaking apart and remaking a self. 
Today, we’ll explore some of that journey. 
Together, discussing what he’s learned about the possibility of moving from fear, emptiness, and isolation
To love, meaning, and deep connection. 
These learnings haven’t come easy. 
As a boy, Vijay was raised between the strict devotion of Bengali immigrant parents and the ruthless demands of the conservatory. 
He grew up navigating the world of elite orchestras, 
Found himself in the depths of burnout, 
and ultimately experienced an unexpected reawakening—where he discovered that the music he’d spent his life studying was seen not as a curio of high culture or mere entertainment, 
but a lifeline of connection—
most vividly in Skid Row, where people living through addiction, homelessness, and incarceration heard it as survival itself. 
When these audiences encountered the music Vijay would play, 
They often spoke to how they saw their own lives reflected in the stories of the composers: 
the rage of Beethoven, 
the fragility of Schumann’s mind, 
and the plight of Handel—who wrote Messiah bankrupt, ill, and broken, yet transformed despair into an enduring Hallelujah.
Vijay’s writing, and the work he is doing in the world,
Unsettles assumptions about success, 
And beautifully illuminates how art can restore not just audiences, 
but artists themselves.
For more on Vijay, his music, memoir, non-profit Street Symphony, live events and other offerings please visit vijaygupta.com
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On Love, Storytelling, and Radical Curiosity | Baktash Ahadi
On Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty | Francis Weller 
On How the Arts Transform Us | Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross

Upcoming opportunities to learn with Joshua:
Learn more about Joshua's new LIVE 6 week course: Unlocking Creativity. 
Limited spots are available. Course begins on October 11th, 2026.
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Thanks for listening!
Support the show

When criminal justice expert and Stanford-Trained economist, Jennifer Doleac thinks about reform, 
she’s not just hopeful, 
she’s optimistic that second chances are possible—for the justice-involved population and the system as a whole. 
In her eye opening new book: The Science of Second Chances,
she reveals her powerful approach to reducing crime and incarceration. 
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into some of the cutting-edge economic research and real-world experiments she’s conducted and called upon in her work.
Together exploring the possibility of approaching big, complex problems as scientists in a lab do.
Carefully testing different approaches and following the data to maximize impact. 
Jennifer’s work points to an innovative path forward that harnesses  practical, achievable solutions. 
As she invites us to consider the possibility that we can have both public safety and a smaller, less intrusive justice system—
without waiting for big, structural reforms that might never come. 
And, that creating the society we ultimately want, and need, 
may actually come from shifting focus from the enormity of the problem 
to the power of small, evidence-based changes.
For more on Jennifer, her new book, podcast, and other offerings please visit: https://jenniferdoleac.com/ and for her substack head to https://probablecausation.substack.com/ 
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
The End of Violence | Dr. Gary Slutkin
On How to Speak Up When it Matters | Dr. Sunita Sah
On Science, Hope, and Humanity | Matt Kaplan

Upcoming opportunities to learn with Joshua:
Learn more about Joshua's new LIVE 6 week course: Unlocking Creativity. 
Limited spots are available. Course begins on October 11th, 2026.
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Thanks for listening!
Support the show

Emotional pain, of all kinds and magnitudes, is part of life. 
We’ll never be able to find ourselves free of it; 
no meditation or amount of therapy will cure us of the harder parts of being alive. 
Celebrated author and therapist, Lisa Olivera has confronted this reality for years, weaving her exploration of it throughout her popular SubStack, Human Stuff. 
She reminds us that the practice of turning toward the ache with care—reverence, even—might be one of the most meaningful gifts we can give ourselves. 
It might even save us.
Through her work, Lisa offers questions and practices that invite us into this possibility.
Questions such as:
How do we confront and tend to the painful parts of being human without letting that pain entirely overtake us? 
How do we find joy even when depression visits, even when we lose someone we love, even when the hurt of the world is ever-present? 
How do we cultivate aliveness in the midst?
 Today we’ll engage with these questions alongside themes from her gorgeous new book:
When the Ache Remains: Lessons on Tending to the Unfixable and Finding Beauty Anyway, 
All of which point to how what Lisa calls; the ache of being alive, 
shapes our lives, 
how we can alchemize pain into medicine, 
how presence is accessible, 
and how it’s possible to find beauty and joy even in the midst of some of our most harrowing experiences.
For more on Lisa, her books, substack, events and other offerings, please visit lisaolivera.com
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty | Francis Weller
On Listening and Attending to the Soul | James Hollis
On Why We Suffer and How We Heal | Dr. Suzan Song
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Beloved Poet, spiritual teacher, and storyteller Mark Nepo,
And 
Writer, speaker, activist, and founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal, Parker J. Palmer, 
Have touched the lives of millions of people around the globe seeking to live more courageously, authentically, and in ways that foster a more compassionate world. 
For some time I’ve dreamt of getting the two of them together for a conversation to explore some of the greatest lessons they’ve learned over the course of their lives and careers.
Lessons about what it means to live well, 
To work well, 
And to relate to each other, and the world, in life-giving ways. 
We finally did.
For more on Parker, his books, podcast and other offerings please visit newcomerpalmer.com. For more about the Center for Courage and Renewal visit couragerenewal.org
And for more about Mark Nepo, his nearly 30 books, poetry, and live events please visit marknepo.com
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Looking for more inspiring conversations with Mark and Parker? We think you'll love these:
On Wisdom and Love in Troubling Times | Mark Nepo & Elizabeth Lesser
On Choosing Love | Mark Nepo 
On Honoring the Soul (Pt. 1) | Parker J. Palmer
On Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker J. Palmer & Jerry Colonna
Thanks for listening!
Support the show